Relay mechanisms



`Iuly 15, `1958 v R. B. STURRUP RELAY MECHANIsMs Filed July 1o. 195

INVENTOR.

United States Patent O RELAY MECltIANlSMS Robert Bruce Stnrrup, Westfield, Conn.

Application July 1li, 1953, Serial No. 367,313

8 Claims. (Cl. 20d- 87) This invention relates to electrical relays for the remote control of electrical and other apparatus.

Electrical relays, in many installations, are subjected to severe shocks and vibration such as are `caused by blows, falls, gun discharge, the sudden starting of spinning movement and the sudden stopping of such movement. This is particularly true of relays installed on aircraft where they may be subjected to all these inn iluences. These shocks and vibration often cause the 'breaking of closed contacts which results in misoperation of the mechanism controlled by the relay. In mechanisms under remote control, reliability of operation of the control mechanism is usually of the highest importance.

An important object of the present invention is to produce a novel and improved relay construction in which the breaking of closed contacts under shocks in any direction or vibration produced in the manner above described or otherwise are eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to produce a novel and improved relay construction in which the building up of residual magnetism in the armature or armatures, which interferes with the efciency of operation of relays and shortens their lives, is entirely prevented.

Other objects of the invention `are to improve the construction and mode of operation of electrical relays to avoid contact bounce and increase contact pressure, to reduce electrical resistance through the terminals, to increase the sensitivity of relays in operation and to eliminate the requirement for exact adjustment of the contacts in the manufacture of relays.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel and improved features, constructions and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The various features `of the invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawing illustrating a relay embodying the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the construction therein shown.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a view in horizontal section of the relay taken substantially on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3, and showing, in phantom, certain of the parts above the plane on which the section is taken;

Fig. 2 is a view in horizontal section of the relay taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a view in Vertical section of the relay taken substantially in a plane containing the Vertical axis of the relay;

Fig. 4 is detail perspective view illustrating the head plate of the relay and certain associated parts removed from the casing of the relay;

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating a contact activator forming part of the switch mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a detail exploded view in perspective, illus 2,843,696 Patented July l5, 1958 'u trating respectively two armatures mounted for rotative movements about the vertical axis of the relay and a slide for connecting the armatures for synchronized movement and Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view illustrating a portion of the magnetic stator of the relay.

ln the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the relay comprises a magnetic stator indicated as a whole at 2. The stator, which is made of magnetic material such as soft iron, includes a shell or casing having a cylindrical side wall 4 and a lower end wall 6. Within the shell is mounted, in coaxial relation to the cylindrical wall 4, a tubular element 10 of magnetic material the lower end Iof which is secured in an open` ing 12 in the end wall 6, this element also forming part of the magnetic stator.

The magnetic stator also comprises a plurality of pole pieces 14 and 16 of magnetic material secured to a circular supporting disk 1S of non magnetic material such as brass and having a central opening 19. The pole pieces have the shapes shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 7 and are secured in equally spaced relation about the axis of the disk and the cylindrical casing, the spaces between the pole pieces being indicated at 17. The disk, with the attached pole pieces, is arranged to fit in the upper portion of the casing 2 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, with the periphery of the disk in engagement with a shoulder 20 on the inside of the side Wall of the casing and with the inner edge of the disk in engagement with a shoulder 22 formed on the upper end of the tubular element 10. The pole pieces 14 and 16 preferably engage tightly against the side wall 4 of the casing and in order to hold the parts securely in place in the casing, the casing is formed with an inwardly extending rib 24 located just above the pole pieces, thereby locking the pole pieces and disk 1S securely in place.

The construction above described provides a hollow cylindrical chamber indicated at 25 in which is located a coil 26 of wire to receive current from a suitable source to energize the relay.

Mounted above the disk 18 and in the space between the inner portions of the pole pieces 14 and 16 are two armatures rotatable about an axis coincident with the axis of the casing and a slide for connecting the armatures for synchron-ous rotation in opposite directions. These armatures also are made of magnetic material such as soft iron. The lower armature, indicated at 28, is formed with a disk like body 3d having a central opening 32. The armature is provided with a plurality of equally spaced radial projections or arms 34 extending outwardly from the body, these arms corresponding in number with the number of the spaces between the pole pieces 14 and 16. These arms 34 are shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 6 and each has a substantial portion thereof located above the body 30 of the armature.

The lower armature 28 is xed to the upper end of a tubular carrier 36 mounted within the tubular member 141', for rotation about an axis substantially coincident with the vertical axis of the relay, the upper end of the carrier engaging in the opening 32 in the armature. Fixed within the lower end of the carrier 36 is a bearing block 38, having a conical bearing recess in the lower side thereof in which engages a conical bearing projection 4t) formed on the bearing block 42 secured in the lower end of the tubular member ltl.

The upper armature, indicated at 44, is formed with a disk-like body 46 having a central opening 48. The armature is provided with a plurality of equally spaced radial projections or arms 5) extending outwardly from the body, these arms also corresponding in number with the number of spaces between the pole pieces 14 and 16. These arms 50 are shaped as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 6 and each has a substantial portion thereof located below the body 46.

The upper armature 44 is xed to the upper end of a shaft or spindle 52 also of magnetic material mounted within the tubular carrier 36 for rotation about an axis substantially coincident with the vertical axis of the relay, the spindle engaging in the opening 48 in the body 46. The lower end of the spindle 52 is provided with a conical bearing projection 54 which engages in a bear-ing recess in the upper side of the bearing block 38.

The armatures 28 and 44 are thus mounted for rotation in opposite directions about an axis substantially coincident with the vertical axis of the relay and are rotated in opposite directions in the operation of the relay in the manner hereinafter described.

The armatures are rotatably supported respectively by the tubular carrier 36 and the spindle 52 with their disk like bodies 30 and 46 in vertically spaced rotation as shown in Fig. 3 and with the upper portions of the arms 34 on the armature 28 and the lower portions of the arms 50 on the armature 44 located in substantially the same vertical positions so that they will be brought into engagement by the rotation of the armature 28 in a clockwise direction and by the simultaneous rotation of the armature 44 in a counter-clockwise direction.

The armature 28 is assembled with the magnetic stator in position to locate the arms 34 on the armature respectively in the spaces between the pole pieces 14 and 16. The armature 44 also is assembled with the magnetic stator in position to locate the arms 50 also respectively in the spaces between the pole pieces 14 and 16. For convenience in -describing the structure and its mode of operation, each arm 34 on the armature 28 and the arm 50 on the armature 44 which is located in the same space between the pole pieces will be referred to as corresponding arms. The two armatures are relatively positioned about the axis of rotation so that each arm 34 lies ybetween the corresponding arm 50 and the succeeding pole piece in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 2.

When the relay is deenergized the armatures 28 and 44 assume substantially the positions about the axis of rotation shown-in Fig. 2, each arm 34 on armature 28 being engaged with the corresponding arm 50 on armature 44 and the contacting faces of the corresponding arms ebeing located substantially midway between the pole pieces on opposite sides of said corresponding arms. When the coil 26 is energized, the armature 28 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 2, to engage two of the arms 34 with the pole pieces 14 and two of said arms with the pole pieces 16 and the armature 44 is rotated in a clockwise direction, Fig. 2, to engage two of the arms 50 with the pole pieces 14 and two of said arms with the pole pieces 16. When the relay is deenergized, the armature 28 is rotated in a clockwise direction and the armature 44 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction to restore the armatures to the positions shown in Fig. 2.

The present construction comprises means for causing the two armatures to move always in synchronized balanced relation. This means comprises a slide 56 made of non-magnetic material such as brass and having a structure such as that shown in Fig. 6. This slide is mounted for limited sliding movements in the space between the disklike bodies 30 and 46 of the armatures 28 and 44. The slide consists of a plate having the outline shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The slide comprises a central body 58 and is formed with supporting arms 60 and 62 extending outwardly in opposite direction lfrom the body and slidably engaging in guide grooves 64 in the pole pieces 16. The slide is supported by the engagement of these arms with the bottom walls or :faces of the grooves.

The slide S6 is connected with the upper armature 44 by means of a pin or stud 66 secured in the body of the armature and extending downwardly therefrom and engaging in a slot 68 formed in the body of the slide. The

slide is connected with the lower armature 28 by means of a pin or stud 70 secured in the body of the latter armature and extending upwardly therefrom and engaging in a slot 72 formed in the body of the slide. Through these connecting devices, the armatures are connected for synchronous rotary movements in opposite directions, at substantially the same speeds, about their common axis of rotation.

The slide 56 is acted upon by a coil spring 73 of the compression type surrounding a reduced portion of the arm 62 and interposed between a shoulder 76 on said arm and the side wall 4 of the stator.

This spring tends constantly to move the slide 56 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and to turn the armature 44 in a counter-clockwise direction, Figs. 2 and 6, and the armature 28 in a clockwise direction. The rotary movement of the armatures and the movement of the slide in the direction of the arrow is limited by the engagement of the arms 50 on the armature 44 with the corresponding arms 34 on the armature 28 respectively as shown in Fig. 2.

With this construction, when the solenoid coil of the relay is deenergized, the slide 56 is held by the spring 73 substantially in the position shown in Fig. A2 with relation to the axis of rotation of the armatures and the armatures 44 and 28 are held in substantially the positions about the said axis of rotation shown in this gure with the arms 50 on the armature 44 in engagement respectively with the corresponding arms 34 on the armature 28. Under this condition, the arms 50 and 34 of the respective armatures are located in the spaces 17 so that the contacting faces of said arms lie substantially midway between the corresponding pole pieces.

When the coil of the relay is deenergized, the magnetic stator is deenergized and the two armatures 44 and 28 are also deenergized and said armatures are held stationary by the action of spring 73 in the positions shown in Fig. 2. When the coil of the relay is energized by the passage of a current therethrough a certain polarity is imparted to the pole pieces 14 and 16 of the magnetic stator and an opposite polarity is imparted to the arms 50 and 34 by the magnetic field generated in the magnetic stator. For example, an N polarity is imparted to the pole pieces 14 and 16 and an S polarityis imparted to all the arms 50 and 34 on the armatures. The contacting arms 50 and 34 immediately are repelled from each other, each arm 50 is attracted tothe adjacent pole pieces of the stator located on one side of the corresponding space 17 and each arm 34 is attracted to the adjacent pole piece located on the opposite side of the corresponding space. By these forces, the armatures are rotated simultaneously in opposite directions until the projections 50 and 44 on the armatures engage the ad: jacent pole pieces of the magnetic stator. i

Thus each armature is actuated by combined magnetic forces, one a force of repulsion and the other a force of attraction, these forces having a combined push-pull action in the same direction on each armature. The pushpull action of the magnetic forces upon the armature 28 is transmitted through the slide 56 to the armature 44 and this combined with the push-pull action of the magnetic forces exerted directly on the armature 44 results in the exertion of a combined force on the armature 44 which is substantially double that exerted directly on each armature. This combined force of relatively high intensity, acting on the armature 44, tends to rotate the same in a clockwise direction. This armature is connected to the actuator for operating the switch or switches controlled by the relay.

The switch mechanism comprises a series of rods 74, preferably made of highly conductive material such as copper secured in a head plate 77 mounted in the upper end of the cylindrical wall 4 of the casing of the stator to seal the casing. Each rod is secured in a sleeve 78 mounted in a disk 80 of insulating material such as glass fused in an opening in the head plate 77. To thelower end portion of each rod within the casing is fixed one end of a leaf spring 82 hawing a spiral coil extending from the rod vas shown in Fig. l. The end portion or arm of each spring relatively remote from the corresponding rod 74 is normally located substantially radially of the casing and carries at its outer end a contact piece 34 arranged to engage alternatively a contact sleeve 86 xed to a rod 38 or a contact sleeve 90 fixed to a rod 92. These rods also are made of good conducting material such as copper. Each of the rods 88 and 92 is secured in a sleeve 93, fixed in a disk 95a of insulating material such as glass fused in an opening in the head plate 77. Each Contact piece S4 and each radial arm of the leaf spring which carries the contact piece is thus mounted for oscillating movements between the contact sleeves 86 and 90 located on opposite sides of the same to engage said contact piece alternatively with said contact sleeves. Each contact is shifted away from the contact sleeve on one side of said contact piece and into engagement with the contact sleeve on the other side of saidl piece by engaging the radial portion of the leaf spring at a point relatively close to the contact piece and moving said spring transversely. Each rod 74 is connected by a circuit with a corresponding rod 88 so that the engagement of the corresponding contact piece 84 with the contact sleeve 86 on the latter rod will close said circuit. Each rod 74 is also connected by a circuit with the corresponding rod 92 so that the engagement of the contact piece S4 with the contact sleeve, 90 on rod 92 will close the latter circuit.

The connecting mechanism between the armature 44 and the leaf springs for moving the radial portions of the springs transversely to shift the switch members comprises, an actuator 94 preferably made of bonded glass or ceramic material and having the shape clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The actuator is provided with a base plate 95 having a central hub 96 to which the base plate is secured. The actuator is formed with. a cylindrical outer wall 97 extending upwardly from the periphery of the base plate. The actuator is mounted to rotate about an axis substantially coincident with the axis of rotation of the armatures. To this end, the actuator is journaled on a fixed rod or shaft 98 mounted in alignment with spindle 52. The upper end portion of the shaft 98 is secured in an opening in the head plate 77 and the lower end portion of the spindle is formed with a collar 99 with which the actuator is engaged to limit the downward movement thereof. The lower end of the said shaft is formed with a conical projection 100 engaging in `a conical recess formed in the upper end of the spindle S2, this projection constituting a bearing for the upper end of said spindle.

The outer wall of the actuator 94 is formed withl a series of relatively narrow slots 102 corresponding, in number and spacing with the radial portions of thel leaf springs S2, and the radial portions of said springs are engaged in said slots as clearly shown in Figs. l and 3. With this construction, upon rotation of the actuator 94 in a clockwise direction or in a counter-clockwise di rection, the portions of the outer wall ofthe actuator respectively at the sides of the slots 102 will engage the radial portions of the leaf springs and will ex the springs to engage the Contact pieces 84 with the contact sleeves 90 or with the contact sleeves 86.

The actuator 94 is rotated in opposite directions about the common axis of rotation of the actuator and the armatures by the upper armature 44 which is connected with the actuator by means of two pins 104 secured in the body 46 of the armature 44 and extending upwardly therefrom, these pins engaging in openings 106 in the base plate of the actuator 94.

The portions of the outer wall 97 of the actuator on opposite sides of the slots 192 are arranged to engage' 6 the radial portions of the leaf springs 82 at points relatively close to the contact pieces 84' as clearly shown in Fig. l. This does not allow undue flexibility of the portions of the springs extending outside of said wall and makes for effective control without whip of the contact pieces S4, while allowing sufficient yield of the springs after the contact pieces engage the Contact sleeves.

The movement imparted by the armature 44 to the actuator 94 and to the radial portions of the leaf springs 82 is somewhat greater than that required merely to engage the Contact pieces with the contact sleeves 86 and 9i). This overcarry movement is of advantage in that it reduces the tendency of the contact pieces to bounce and increase the pressure of said pieces on the contact sleeves.

The contact sleeves 86 and 90 and the contact pieces 84 may be\rmade of various conducting materials. Preferably however these contact members are made of low resistance materials such as silver or palladium. The sleeves 78 and 93 also may be made of various materials suitable for holding the rods in the head plate but are preferably made of steel. The head plate 77 also is preferably made of steel.

The present relay construction is proof against the disengagement of the contacts of the switch or substantial variations of pressure by shock or vibration. This is primarily due to the balancing of masses of movable parts each counteracting the tendency of the other to move under shock. Thus a shock which tends to cause amovement of one of the rotary armatures in a certain direction will tend to cause a rotary movement of the other armature in the reverse direction.

Other features, also, of the present construction render the same relatively shockproof. Upon the movement of the actuator 94 about its axis in either direction to engage the movable contacts S4 carried by the several flexible resilient conductors 82 with the fixed contacts S6 or 90, the spiral coils of said conductors attached to the rods 74 are either wound up or unwound by the movements of the respective portions of the conductors engaged by the actuator thereby placing the coils of the spirals under considerable tension. This tension under which the coils of the spirals are placed, after the engagement of the movable contacts carried by the several conductors with the fixed contacts, reacts to prevent the disengagement of the movable contacts from the fixed contacts when the relay is subjected to heavy shocks.

Also during the overthrow movement of the actuator, after the movable contacts are engaged with the xed contacts, the coils of each spiral are shifted with relation to the corresponding rod 74 to locate the greater part of each turn of the spiral on the side of the rod facing in the direction in which the Contact point of the conductor with the actuator is moved by the activator. With the coils of the spirals shifted in this manner, the inertia of the shifted coils will exert a substantial resisting force to prevent the disengagement of the movable contacts from the fixed contacts when the relay is subjected to shocks.

in the usual relay construction, magnetic residual builds up in the parts subjected to repeated magnetization and, after a relatively long period of operation, renders the relay substantially inoperative. This magnetic residual or retention is eliminated in the present construction because of the alternate attracting and repelling magnetic forces to which the polarized portions of the stator and armatures are subjected during each energization of the coil. This prevents the building up of residual magnetism in these parts.

Because of the relatively heavy pressure of the contact pieces 84 on the contact sleeves 86 and 90 produced by the combined attractive and repulsive forces on the armatures 28 and 44, the resistance to the current at the contact points is relatively low. The use of low resistance materials in 'the terminal rods 88 and 92 and in the contact members of the switch also makes for low resistance in the switch mechanism.

The relay is highly sensitive because of the magnitude, additively, of the forces acting on the armatures instantly upon the energization of the coil 2 6.

The critical adjustment of the contacts of a relay usually required in its manufacture take a relatively large amount of time of highly skilled workmen and this adds substantially to the cost of manufacture. In the present construction, this critical adjustment of the contacts is not required because of the overthrow or over-carry of the lateral movements of the leaf springs in engaging the contact pieces with the contact sleeves.

The terms verticaL horizontal, upper," lower, above, below and similar terms employed in the above description are used merely for convenience in describing the various parts of the relay mechanism when the relay is supported with the cylindrical axis of the casing in a substantially vertical position. It is to be understood Ythat the relay may be supported in other positions and that these terms are not 'to be regarded as restrictive.

It is to be understood that eXcept as defined in the claims, the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts of the illustrated embodiment of the invention, but that the construction shown in the drawing is merely illustrative of the invention and that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the claims.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention and having specifically described a construction embodying the invention in its preferred form, what is claimed is:

1. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic field developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic field of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator, and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures and stator having respectively cooperating devices for developing, when current is passed through the coil, attractive and repulsive forces acting on each of said armatures simultaneously to move the armature in the same direction.

2. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic iield developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic field of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and core, means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures and stator having respectively cooperating devices for developing, when current is passed through the coil, attractive and repulsive forces acting on each of said armatures simultaneously to move the armature in the same direction, and means for maintaining said armatures in predetermined relations to each other and to said core when the coil is de-energized and for restoring said armatures to said relations when, after the passage of current through the coil, the coil is restored to deenergized condition.

3. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic field developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic field of said coil for rotary movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and core, and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armaturesand stator having respectively cooperating devices for developing, when current is passed through the coil, attractive and repulsive 8 forces acting on each of said armatures simultaneously to move the armature in the same direction.

4. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic iield developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic iield of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to Ithe coil and stator and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures having portions initially located adjacent each other in opposed relation, a stator for receiving the magnetic iield of the coil and having polarized means inducing like polarity in said initially adjacent portions of the armatures whereby said portions of the armatures repulse each other.

5. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic eld developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic lield of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures having portions initially located adjacent each other in opposed relation, a stator for receiving the magnetic iield of the coil and having polarized means inducing like polarity in said initially adjacent portions of the armatures opposite to the polarity of said polarized means whereby said initially opposed portions of the armatures repulse each other and are respectively attracted by said polarized means of the stator to drive each of the armatures in the same direction.

6. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic field developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic iield of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures respectively having pole portions initially located adjacent each other in opposed relation, and a stator for receiving the magnetic iield of the coil having pole portions respectively inducing like polarity in the said pole portions of the armatures whereby the armatures initially repulse each other.

7. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic eld developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic field of said coil for movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator and means for connecting said armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other to form a balanced structure, the armatures respectively having pole portions initially located adjacent each other in opposed relation, and the stator having pole portions respectively inducing in the said pole portions of the armatures like polarity opposite to the polarity of the corresponding pole portions of the stator whereby lthe said pole portions of the armatures repulse each other and are simultaneously attracted by the corresponding pole portions of the stator to actuate the armatures.

8. A relay comprising a coil for receiving an actuating current, a magnetic stator associated with said coil to receive the magnetic iield developed by said coil, two armatures mounted in the magnetic iield of said coil for rotary movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator, means for connecting the armatures for synchronous movements in opposite directions with relation to each other and to the coil and stator to form a balanced structure, the armatures respectively having pole portions initially located in adjacent opposed relation to each other, the stator having pole portions located respectively on opposite sides of the pole portions of the armatures and in position to induce like polarity in the latter pole portions whereby the pole portions of the armatures repulse each other to move the armatures in an operative direction and the pole portions of the stator attract the armatures to move the armatures in the same direction.

1,009,476 Coleman et al. Nov. 21, 1911 10 Coleman Nov. 18, Hofgaard Sept. 6, Walker July 7, Whittaker Feb. 2, Reynolds Oct. 5, Carpenter Dec. 3, Hayward Ian. 24, Lomholt Jan. 16, Miloche Apr. 1, Batcheller Aug. 4, Lazich Dec. 25, 

